Cladding or panels are commonly used on vehicles. The panels can be made of plastic material or of sheet metal. The panels are attached to the vehicle structure using a variety of methods. If the panel and the structure are compatible, the panels can be welded to the vehicle. However in many cases, the panel is plastic and the vehicle structure is metal requiring the use of adhesives or fasteners.
Claddings are also provided with exterior design features, such as styling lines and trim pieces. The design features must be aligned in order to maintain the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle. Thus, the fasteners must enable the cladding to be adjusted relative to an adjacent panel or cladding.
In the prior art, a number of different fasteners have been used to attach a plastic panel to a metal vehicle structure. Examples of such fasteners include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,529,244; 4,607,877 and 5,429,412. Although the prior art fasteners allow a degree of adjustment, the assemblies are relatively complicated to assemble and install on the vehicle.